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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: willthearcher on April 04, 2015, 07:37:00 PM

Title: Making my first bow. A few questions!
Post by: willthearcher on April 04, 2015, 07:37:00 PM

Hi guys. Cody at Tenbrook Archery recommended I post here and ask a couple questions. Long story short, I’m a grad student building a longbow for a design class. I have to make it out of wood and metal.

I want to make a 3 piece takedown longbow. I would cast the central grip out of aluminum (it’s actually fairly light) and make the two limbs out of a wood laminate. Probably bamboo and ipe. Cody and I decided for my first bow it would probably be best to keep it a straight bow. So my grip mounts will be straight (no reflex) as well the bow limbs, and it’ll have that old school D shape when I string it.

I’m planning on following the process at  makingtraditionalongbows.com (http://www.makingtraditionalbows.com/how-to-make-a-longbow.html)  to make the wood laminate of bamboo and ipe. I still have a few questions.

• How long would you recommend the riser be? Cody recommended I try about an 18” riser.
• How long should the bow be in total? I’m a 6 foot tall athletic male. Cody recommended 70” nock to nock.
• The cross section. Some sites, like the makingtraditionalbows I'm planning on following, round it off into a D cross section. Others keep the cross section rectangular. Which should I go with?
• Most importantly, the directions on makingtraditionalbows.com (and everyplace else I’ve looked) are for making a one-stave bow. To make two separate limbs, should I follow the directions and then cut it in half at the centerline? I could then take off about ~6 inches on the end of each limb to preserve the 70” length when I mounted them to my riser. I’m not sure if there’s something I’m missing here though.

Any and all advice appreciated. Thanks!

Title: Re: Making my first bow. A few questions!
Post by: JamesV on April 05, 2015, 02:56:00 AM

what Cody said

Title: Re: Making my first bow. A few questions!
Post by: willthearcher on April 05, 2015, 12:08:00 PM

Quote

Originally posted by JamesV:
what Cody said

Haha thanks. I'm fine with going with Cody's recommendations for the knock length and riser length. The big unanswered question is about the two bow limbs.

I figure I could make a one-piece like most of the tutorials do, then cut the two limbs off leaving the handle area. Then mount those to my riser and tiller. It's the best idea I've got so far but wondered if anyone would recommend another method.